• Home
  • About Us
  • Recruitment
  • Contact Us
  • Gallery
  INDIA SPURS:
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Recruitment
  • Contact Us
  • Gallery

Hotspur Towers - Bill Edrich

4/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture

In the recent Connections- India we mentioned Bill Edrich. Bill did not play an outstanding part in the history of Tottenham Hotspur featuring in just twenty games with four goals. However his story is worth retelling as he did appear on postage stamps (top image), become a test cricketer and a decorated war hero. He also lived through an earthquake whilst playing   As well as being our outside left.

Bill was born in Norfolk in March 1916. He was an amateur with Norwich City and had played for the county before moving to live in London so he would qualify to play his cricket for Middlesex. Tottenham signed him as an amateur in 1935 and he joined the Northfleet nursery side.



Within a year he turned professional and had made his league debut V Blackpool in November 1935 in a 3-1 win at home coming in for Willie Evans.  The following week he scored our goal as we lost away to Nottingham Forest and retained his place for five games, playing nine in total that season as we finished fifth. 

He turned out another eleven games the following year scoring three more goals and  looked like he would have a successful career as a winger, known for his pace and the ability to deliver an accurate cross.
 
Cricket however remained his great love and when he had the opportunity to tour India in the winter of 1937 with Lord Tennyson’s XI  Spurs agreed to release him from his contract so that he could join the party. They did however retain his registration in case some other club attempted to sign him upon his return, only releasing it in 1947.

Picture
Bill on the right in Lahore in November 1937 with Norman Yardley. In an unofficial test match V India. The visitors won by nine wickets, in part to their opening stand of 132. During the game play was held up by an earthquake.

The trip to India proved successful and he did not return to full time football. When the Second World War commenced he joined the RAF. During this time when not flying he did turn out for Chelmsford City in the Southern League, Bournemouth and Lincoln City.
 
Whilst serving in the RAF he would become a squadron Leader flying Blenheim light bombers and won the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC),  He led the raid on Cologne in 1941 which had a direct influence on his life. The raid has been described as ‘The RAF’s most audacious and dangerous low level raid.’


 
Nearly a quarter of the planes were shot down. He later told the tale that at one point an enemy  plane flew in so close he thought he was dead, at that point either the Germans guns jammed or he run out of ammunition as he did not open fire. Bill claims that as the two planes passed each other he made eye contact with the other pilot and that day changed his outlook on life. He described surviving the war as ‘an immense relief’ and many of his friends feel that that raid led him to ensuring he enjoyed the rest of his life to the full. Had he lived today the tabloid newspapers would certainly have relished his activities.

Picture

After the war he became opening batsman for England with Dennis Compton, (who had played for Arsenal) and they re wrote many cricketing records in the next few years. That summer Bill scored 3,539 runs for county and country. In his cricketing career he scored nearly 37,000 runs (including 86 centuries) and was recognized as one of the top slip catchers of that generation.  In addition to being a useful bowler with 479 first class wickets. His test career lasting from 1938 to 1955.
 
He was proclaimed Wisdom Cricketer of the Year in 1940 and one of the stands at Lords cricket ground bears his name. Bill passed away in 1986.
 


COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f- peter shearman (old non de plume)
View Full Bio


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Features

    Flying Down to Rio
    History of T.H.F.C.
    Tribute to Bill Nicholson
    Talking Tottenham
    Early Legends
    The Road to Turin
    International Connections
    Hotspur Towers

    Most Read Articles

    The 100 Year War
    Interview with Marina Sirtis

    A Long Dark Shadow
    By Royal Appointment
    School Report: An Insight into the Younger Eric Dier
    Dear Jimmy
    All Change At Spurs
    Hotspur Towers
    History Of THFC: Part 1

    Passage to India: Rohan Rickets
    Thanks For The Memories
    Our Tommy Carroll
    The AVB Files: Part1 
    The Lilywhites 
    You The Jury
    The Hand Of Hugo
    Connection - Argentina
    Creating a Reputation
    One Hotspur


    Archives

    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    Categories

    All
    Fanpost
    Interviews
    Keith Harrison
    Martin Cloake
    Match Preview
    News
    Nikhil Saglani
    Tactics
    Transfer
    Youth Team

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    View all titles
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Recruitment
  • Contact Us
  • Gallery